All bowstring trusses are not created equal.

Identifying, Establishing and Managing Collapse Zones I mentioned in a recent post about on-going research and recommendations being developed for a significant report. A notable issue that seems to resonate and surface on a reoccurring bais is the identification, establishment and management of collapse zones. Building type, construction systems and materials, initiating, apparent or contributIng […]

The NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program has released the investigation report of the line of duty deaths of two career FDNY  firefighters during a 2007 seven-alarm high-rise fire in the former Deutsche Bank building undergoing deconstruction and asbestos abatement. On August 18, 2007,  two FDNY firefighters; Fr. Joseph Graffagnino and Fr. Robert Beddia both assigned […]

Buildings Behaving Badly; Ok, it’s been a very quiet morning. Nothing much in the way of any work or excitment. The bells come in….Your company gets a dispatch for a report of walls showing signs of cracking and movement in the building. You arrive at curb side with the balance of the one and one […]

CNN recently presented an informative piece on the continuing trends in the design and use of engineered structural systems (ESS) . CNN correspondant Gerri Willis provides an informative and  insightful look at something the fire service knows all too well.  Here’s some additional information for you; According to the Wood Truss Council of America (WTCA), […]

December 27, 1983 Buffalo, New York Five Firefighter Line-of-Duty Deaths As Buffalo (NY) firefighters arrived at the scene of a reported propane leak in a three-story radiator warehouse (Type III ordinary and Type IV heavy timber construction), a massive explosion occurred, killing five firefighters instantly and injuring nine others, three of them critically. The force […]